Esters of glycine, substituted at the nitrogen atom, and having herbicidal properties are described in, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,090 and German Patent Application No. 2,311,897.
More particularly, esters of N-(chloroacetyl)-N-(2,6-dialkylphenyl) glycine of the general formula: ##STR2## have been found to exert good herbicidal action on maize. However, those herbicides are rather noxious to maize and, therefore, it is not possible to use them in practice in maize cultivation.
French Patent Application No. 2,133,793 describes herbicidal compositions consisting of a herbicide (thiolcarbamates and substituted triazines being exemplified) and an antidote of the general formula: ##STR3## in which R may be, among others, a dichloromethyl group, and R' and R" represent numerous alkylene, alkyl, aryl groups, etc.). Such compositions permit the use of the thiolcarbamates and substituted triazines in the disherbing of maize and wheat fields without prejudice to the useful plants.
The following compounds proved to be very effective as disherbing agents: ##STR4## However they proved to be toxic even for plants of agricultural interest such as maize.
In German Patent Application DOS No. 2,402,983 there are described antidotes for agricultural cultivations against the toxic effect of chloroacetanylide type herbicides, of formula: ##STR5## wherein R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are, among others, alkyl, alkenyl, alkinyl optionally substituted by halogen atoms.
The compounds of formula: ##STR6## wherein R.sup.6 =allyl or alkyl, are cited as particularly effective antidotes.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,756 there is described the use of dichloroacetamides in coating the seeds of crops such as rice and corn in order to protect them from injury by a variety of herbicides, particularly the thiocarbamates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,224 describes herbicide compositions consisting of an herbicide (thiocarbamates or triazines) and an antidote of general formula: ##STR7## wherein R may be, among others, a dichloromethyl group while R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 represent alkyl, alkenyl and aryl groups.
German Patent Application DOS No. 2,747,814 describes antidotes of general formula: ##STR8## wherein X=H, halogen
R=H, phenyl, optionally halogen-substituted alkyl, alkenyl or alkinyl groups. PA1 R is H, alkyl having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms, (poly)-haloalkyl, alkenyl, (poly)-haloalkenyl, alkinyl, and (poly)-haloalkinyl containing a number of carbon atoms in the range from 2 to 5, or phenyl.
Said products allow the use of non-selective herbicides, such as derivatives of N,N-disubstituted glycine in disherbing of maize and wheat fields without damaging the useful plants. Particularly active in protecting maize cultivations against the damages of HS 26910 and Antor, proved to be the compound N-allyl-N-(3,3-dichloroallyl)-dichloroacetamide of formula: ##STR9##